An inquiry into February’s Perth bushfires has called for greater co-ordination between emergency services and other government agencies in responding to disasters.

The Perth Hills Bushfire Report has already cost the CEO of the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) her job, following scathing criticism in the report, which calls for a restructure of the authority.

Former Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty’s first recommendation calls for FESA and the Department of Environment and Conservation to “develop and finalise their memorandum of understanding and commit to working in partnership”. 

The report 55 recommendations also says state and local governments should recognise that regardless of further declarations of bushfire-prone areas, the existing planning and building problems in the Perth Hills relating to bushfire risk will persist.

The review recommends the WA Government mandate that title deeds be amended to indicate if a property is in a declared bushfire-prone area and calls for better pre-season bushfire education and a review of the emergency warning message system.

The bushfire in the Roleystone/Kelmscott area of Perth on February 6 destroyed 71 homes and damaged another 39. The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) told the inquiry that 50 claims for a total $38 million covered losses to homes, businesses and farms.

ICA said although the calculation of bushfire risk in an insurance premium varies between insurers, the percentage of the premium related to bushfire risk is relatively low, even in high-risk areas.

The report says more widespread declaration of bushfire-prone areas would not result in a significant increase to household insurance premiums, as “even if an area which had not previously been declared as bushfire-prone was declared, its actual exposure to bushfire risk would not have changed as a result of the declaration”. 

“This is an important consideration for government in its assessment of the special inquiry’s recommendation related to the declaration of bushfire-prone areas.”

WA has only two areas rated as bushfire-prone, requiring higher construction standards appropriate to a “bushfire attack level”.

The inquiry heard concern that if an area was declared bushfire-prone, the standards would be applied universally, but the report says this is not the case.

“It was noted by the special inquiry that insurance companies take on the risk of their policies without ever viewing the location of the property or the construction materials that are used in homes,” Mr Keelty said. “That, of course, is a matter for the industry.”

But the report says that if buildings incorporate bushfire defence measures, the call on insurance should be reduced.